The Back-Up Plan
Encyclopedia
The Back-up Plan is a 2010 romantic comedy film
, starring Jennifer Lopez
and Alex O'Loughlin
. It was released theatrically in the U.S. on April 23, 2010, and later in other regions. This was Tom Bosley
's final film before his death in October 2010.
She goes to the farm determined to tell him that she is pregnant. They make love and afterwards Stan is confused and angry that she didn't tell him before and Zoe leaves the next morning believing that things are over between them. However, Stan decides he still wants to be with her and they reconcile. They go to the doctor and find out that Zoe is actually carrying twins. Overwhelmed, Stan goes to a children's playing area to figure out what it means to be a father, but is suspected to be a pervert; this is soon cleared up. He finds a friend there that he can talk to about the pregnancy throughout the movie, while Zoe gets little support from her Single Mothers and Proud group when the group members discover she is no longer single. Stan takes the next step to becoming a father and orders a stroller for the twins. After many misunderstandings and comedic revelations, Zoe and Stan are walking into the Market when they run into Stan's classmate. Due to Stan's remark that the twins are not his, Zoe believes that he is not ready to become a father to them, and breaks off the relationship.
Later, the stroller that Stan ordered arrives and Zoe figures out that Stan was never planning to leave. At her grandmother's wedding, Zoe's water breaks and on the way to the hospital they make a pit stop at the Market. Zoe apologizes to Stan and they begin to work things out. He pulls out the penny that she turned over when they first met and Zoe promises to trust him more. In the end, Stan opens a store/restaurant next to Zoe's pet shop and after the Grand Opening speech Stan asks Zoe to marry him and she says yes. On their way home, she spontaneously throws up into a rubbish bin. The camera switches between Stan's and Zoe's faces and the viewer can see their shocked looks as they think of reasons why she would be throwing up for no apparent reason, leading the viewer to believe that Zoe is pregnant again.
. They are available on Amazon.com
since April 13, 2010. The soundtrack has various artists, while the score was composed entirely by Stephen Trask
.
Soundtrack
Bonus tracks:
Score
The film's score
was composed by Stephen Trask
.
reported that 21% of critics gave the film positive reviews based on 126 reviews with an average score of 3.6/10. Its consensus states "Jennifer Lopez is as appealing as ever, but The Back-up Plan smothers its star with unrelatable characters and a predictable plot." Another review aggretator, Metacritic
, which assigns a weighted average
from 0 to 100 on top reviews of mainstream critics, gave the film an average score of 34% based on 32 reviews.
Kirk Honeycutt of The Hollywood Reporter
gave the film a positive review saying, "A winning performance by Jennifer Lopez overcomes a formulaic and predictable rom-com that involves a planned pregnancy." The New York Times
film critic Manohla Dargis
wrote that the film is "not very good" and "bland". Amy Biancolli of the San Francisco Chronicle
praised the cast in her review writing "Lopez does a fine job mortifying herself in pursuit of physical humor, shifting her center of gravity in more ways than one. O'Loughlin, in the blander role, acts hurt or shocked or besotted where required, but the supporting players nearly steal the show." Chicago Sun-Times
film critic Roger Ebert
gave the film 1/4 stars, claiming the film "plays like an unendurable TV commercial about beautiful people with great lifestyles and not a thought in their empty little heads."
Jennifer Lopez received 2 nominations for Best Romantic Comedy Actress and Best Romantic Comedy for The Back-Up Plan at the Teen Choice Awards.
was fueled by 3-D venues). In its 2nd week it dropped to #4 with $7,255,762, averaging $2,212 per theater. In its 3rd week the film dropped to #5 grossing $5,033,471, averaging $1,676 per theater. The following week it dropped to #6 grossing $2,387,480, averaging $956 per theater.
As of July 14, it had grossed $77,237,270 worldwide, and is CBS Films
' highest-grossing film to date.
The Back-up Plan reached #1 on Top Ten Hot Movies On Demand
and Blu-ray
and sold 277,183 ( $4.7 million) copies in its first week of release debuting at #2 on the charts behind the sixth season of Lost
.
The Back-up Plan also ranked #1 at both the Top 10 Renting DVD Titles and Top 10 Selling DVD Titles at U.S. BLOCKBUSTER stores, as well as #1 at the Top 10 Online Renting DVD Titles at Blockbuster.com. #3 at Top 10 Renting Blu-ray Titles at U.S. BLOCKBUSTER stores, #1 at Top 10 Selling Digital Titles on BLOCKBUSTER On Demand.
The Back-up Plan also reached #1 on Top Movie Sales on iTunes.
Romantic comedy film
Romantic comedy films are films with light-hearted, humorous plotlines, centered on romantic ideals such as that true love is able to surmount most obstacles. One dictionary definition is "a funny movie, play, or television program about a love story that ends happily"...
, starring Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...
and Alex O'Loughlin
Alex O'Loughlin
Alex O'Loughlin is an Australian actor, currently starring in CBS's Hawaii Five-0 as Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett. His best known earlier roles include Kevin Hiatt in The Shield, Mick St. John in Moonlight, Dr. Andy Yablonski in Three Rivers, and Stan in The Back-up Plan...
. It was released theatrically in the U.S. on April 23, 2010, and later in other regions. This was Tom Bosley
Tom Bosley
Thomas Edward "Tom" Bosley was an American actor. Bosley is best known for portraying Howard Cunningham on the long-running ABC sitcom Happy Days. He also was featured in recurring roles on Murder, She Wrote, and Father Dowling Mysteries...
's final film before his death in October 2010.
Plot
Zoe (Lopez) has given up on finding the man of her dreams and decided to become a single mother and undergoes artificial insemination. The same day she meets Stan (O'Loughlin) when they both try to hail the same taxi. They run into each other twice more at a farmers market and a pet store. Stan convinces Zoe to go on a no-obligations date. Zoe is still uncertain whether she is pregnant or not and if she should tell Stan. The night she takes the test and Stan takes her for a romantic dinner in a garden. Things don't turn out as well as planned when he spills the wine and a fire occurs. At the end of the night Stan asks her to come to his farm during the weekend and Zoe finds out that she is pregnant.She goes to the farm determined to tell him that she is pregnant. They make love and afterwards Stan is confused and angry that she didn't tell him before and Zoe leaves the next morning believing that things are over between them. However, Stan decides he still wants to be with her and they reconcile. They go to the doctor and find out that Zoe is actually carrying twins. Overwhelmed, Stan goes to a children's playing area to figure out what it means to be a father, but is suspected to be a pervert; this is soon cleared up. He finds a friend there that he can talk to about the pregnancy throughout the movie, while Zoe gets little support from her Single Mothers and Proud group when the group members discover she is no longer single. Stan takes the next step to becoming a father and orders a stroller for the twins. After many misunderstandings and comedic revelations, Zoe and Stan are walking into the Market when they run into Stan's classmate. Due to Stan's remark that the twins are not his, Zoe believes that he is not ready to become a father to them, and breaks off the relationship.
Later, the stroller that Stan ordered arrives and Zoe figures out that Stan was never planning to leave. At her grandmother's wedding, Zoe's water breaks and on the way to the hospital they make a pit stop at the Market. Zoe apologizes to Stan and they begin to work things out. He pulls out the penny that she turned over when they first met and Zoe promises to trust him more. In the end, Stan opens a store/restaurant next to Zoe's pet shop and after the Grand Opening speech Stan asks Zoe to marry him and she says yes. On their way home, she spontaneously throws up into a rubbish bin. The camera switches between Stan's and Zoe's faces and the viewer can see their shocked looks as they think of reasons why she would be throwing up for no apparent reason, leading the viewer to believe that Zoe is pregnant again.
Cast
- Jennifer LopezJennifer LopezJennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...
as Zoe - Alex O'LoughlinAlex O'LoughlinAlex O'Loughlin is an Australian actor, currently starring in CBS's Hawaii Five-0 as Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett. His best known earlier roles include Kevin Hiatt in The Shield, Mick St. John in Moonlight, Dr. Andy Yablonski in Three Rivers, and Stan in The Back-up Plan...
as Stan - Danneel HarrisDanneel HarrisDanneel Ackles , better known by her stage name Danneel Harris, is an American actress and model. She is best known for her roles as Shannon McBain on One Life to Live and Rachel Gatina on One Tree Hill.-Early life:Elta Danneel Graul was born in Lafayette, Louisiana, and was raised in the small...
as Olivia - Melissa McCarthyMelissa McCarthyMelissa McCarthy is an American actress and comedian.From 2000 to 2007, she portrayed Sookie St. James on the The WB television series Gilmore Girls. From 2007 to 2009, she portrayed Dena on the ABC sitcom Samantha Who? She currently stars in the CBS sitcom Mike & Molly, for which she...
as Carol - Michaela WatkinsMichaela WatkinsMichaela Suzanne Watkins is an American comic actress, best known for her various roles as a cast member on Saturday Night Live, a regular performer with The Groundlings in Los Angeles, her recurring role as "Lucy" in the sitcom The New Adventures of Old Christine, and for her supporting role as...
as Mona - Eric Christian OlsenEric Christian OlsenEric Christian Olsen is an American actor. He currently portrays Detective Marty Deeks on the CBS television series NCIS: Los Angeles.-Early life:...
as Clive - Anthony AndersonAnthony AndersonAnthony Anderson is an American actor, comedian, and writer. He has starred in his own sitcom All About the Andersons, as well as the Fox sitcom The Bernie Mac Show during the fifth and final season of the show. He is also known for his leading roles in television dramas such as K-Ville, The...
as Dad - Noureen DeWulfNoureen DeWulfNoureen DeWulf is an Indian American actress. She is best known for her roles in films like West Bank Story, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, and The Back-Up Plan.-Early life:...
as Daphne - Tom BosleyTom BosleyThomas Edward "Tom" Bosley was an American actor. Bosley is best known for portraying Howard Cunningham on the long-running ABC sitcom Happy Days. He also was featured in recurring roles on Murder, She Wrote, and Father Dowling Mysteries...
as Arthur - Maribeth MonroeMaribeth MonroeMaribeth Monroe is an American actress, writer and comedian. She is currently featured in the Comedy Central television series Workaholics, playing office manager Alice Murphy.Monroe performed at The Second City, both on the Chicago and Detroit stages...
as Lori - Linda LavinLinda LavinLinda Lavin is an American singer and actress. She is best known for playing the title character in the sitcom Alice and for her Broadway performances.After acting as a child, Lavin joined the Compass Players in the late 1950s...
as Nana - Jennifer Elise CoxJennifer Elise CoxJennifer Elise Cox is an American actress best known for her satirical portrayal of Jan Brady in The Brady Bunch Movie.-Film roles:...
as Babyland Salesgirl - Cesar MillanCesar MillanCesar Millan, is a Mexican-born American dog trainer. A self-taught expert, he is widely known for his television series The Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan, now in its seventh season and broadcast in more than eighty countries worldwide...
as himself
Soundtrack and score
The soundtrack and the score were released on March 26, 2010 on iTunesITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
. They are available on Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
since April 13, 2010. The soundtrack has various artists, while the score was composed entirely by Stephen Trask
Stephen Trask
Stephen Trask is an American musician and composer, who graduated from Wesleyan University.He was the music director and house band member at the New York club Squeezebox, where he performed with stars such as Debbie Harry, Lene Lovich and Joey Ramone.Trask composed the music and lyrics for the...
.
Soundtrack
- "What Is Love?(What Is) Love?" Love?" is a song by American recording artist and actress Jennifer Lopez, taken from her seventh studio album, Love? . The song was originally included on the soundtrack to her 2010 film The Back-Up Plan. It was written by Diana Gordon, and co-written and produced by Emile "D'Mile" Dernst II...
" – Jennifer Lopez (also featured on Love?Love? (album)Love? is the seventh studio album by American recording artist and actress Jennifer Lopez. The album was released on April 28, 2011. Produced during the pregnancy of her twins Emme and Max, Love? is Lopez's most personal album to date, taking inspiration from the birth of her twins and her own...
) - "Say Hey (I Love You)" – Michael Franti & Speerhead
- "Fallin' For You" – Colbie CaillatColbie CaillatColbie Marie Caillat is an American pop singer-songwriter and guitarist from Malibu, California. She debuted in 2007 with Coco, which included hit singles "Bubbly", "Realize", and "The Little Things". In 2008, she recorded a duet with Jason Mraz, "Lucky", which won a Grammy. Caillat released her...
- "Disco Lies" – MobyMobyRichard Melville Hall , better known by his stage name Moby, is an American musician, DJ, and photographer. He is known mainly for his sample-based electronic music and his outspoken liberal political views, including his support of veganism and animal rights.Moby gained attention in the early...
- "A Beautiful Day" – Indie.Arie
- "Key To My Heart" – Jessica Jarrell
- "Crabbuckit" – K-osK-osKevin Brereton , better known by his stage name k-os , is a Canadian rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer...
- "Bottles"- VV BrownVV BrownVanessa Brown , also known as VV Brown, is an English singer, songwriter, model, and producer signed to Island Records in the United Kingdom and to Universal Republic Records and Capitol Records in the United States...
- "You Me & The Bourgeoisie"- The SubmarinesThe Submarines-Band history:Working as solo artists in Boston, the two members of the band, John Dragonetti and Blake Hazard, were introduced through a mutual friend, Joe Klompus. Dragonetti and Hazard became partners and soon toured Europe together as members of the band. The relationship lasted for four...
- "Let's Finish (Sinden Remix)" – KuduKuduThe kudus are two species of antelope of the genus Tragelaphus:*Lesser Kudu, Tragelaphus imberbis*Greater Kudu, Tragelaphus strepsiceros- Etymology :...
- "Day Dream" -Title Theme From The Back-up Plan" – Stephen TraskStephen TraskStephen Trask is an American musician and composer, who graduated from Wesleyan University.He was the music director and house band member at the New York club Squeezebox, where he performed with stars such as Debbie Harry, Lene Lovich and Joey Ramone.Trask composed the music and lyrics for the...
Bonus tracks:
- "She Drives Me Crazy" – Raney Shockne f/Barbara Perry
- "What A Wonderful World" – Raney Shockne f/Barbara Perry
Score
The film's score
Film score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film, forming part of the film's soundtrack, which also usually includes dialogue and sound effects...
was composed by Stephen Trask
Stephen Trask
Stephen Trask is an American musician and composer, who graduated from Wesleyan University.He was the music director and house band member at the New York club Squeezebox, where he performed with stars such as Debbie Harry, Lene Lovich and Joey Ramone.Trask composed the music and lyrics for the...
.
- Daydream – 2:25
- The Back Up Plan – 1:05
- Now What? – 1:04
- That Guy – 0:43
- Show Me Your Cheese – 0:24
- Goodbye for Now – 0:22
- Another Penny Drops – 1:28
- Pregnancy Test – 1:31
- Community Garden – 1:40
- A Serious Question – 0:43
- Fire – 0:40
- First Kiss – 1:01
- Test Results – 0:13
- Shadybrook – 0:38
- Mirror, Mirror – 1:02
- Yummy, Yummy – 1:05
- Cheese Muse – 1:15
- Orgasm – 1:01
- Telling the Truth – 1:46
- Not Leaving Leaving – 0:33
- Dejected – 0:24
- Here We Go – 0:35
- Studies – 0:19
- Chicken In Your Hair – 0:39
- Pancake Prelude – 0:28
- Are You Still In There? – 2:56
- Wall of Strollers / Examination – 1:48
- Pictures of Mom – 1:32
- Just Go – 2:40
- I Wanted a Baby – 1:03
- Old Dogs-New Tricks – 0:43
- Baby Time – 0:43
- And Now, for the Exciting Conclusion Of – 4:49
- Proposal – 1:13
Reception
The film received mixed to negative reviews from critics. Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
reported that 21% of critics gave the film positive reviews based on 126 reviews with an average score of 3.6/10. Its consensus states "Jennifer Lopez is as appealing as ever, but The Back-up Plan smothers its star with unrelatable characters and a predictable plot." Another review aggretator, Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, which assigns a weighted average
Weighted mean
The weighted mean is similar to an arithmetic mean , where instead of each of the data points contributing equally to the final average, some data points contribute more than others...
from 0 to 100 on top reviews of mainstream critics, gave the film an average score of 34% based on 32 reviews.
Kirk Honeycutt of The Hollywood Reporter
The Hollywood Reporter
Formerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
gave the film a positive review saying, "A winning performance by Jennifer Lopez overcomes a formulaic and predictable rom-com that involves a planned pregnancy." The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
film critic Manohla Dargis
Manohla Dargis
Manohla Dargis is a chief film critic for The New York Times, along with A.O. Scott. She was formerly a chief film critic for the Los Angeles Times, the film editor at the LA Weekly, and a film critic at The Village Voice. She has written for a variety of publications, including Film Comment and...
wrote that the film is "not very good" and "bland". Amy Biancolli of the San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
praised the cast in her review writing "Lopez does a fine job mortifying herself in pursuit of physical humor, shifting her center of gravity in more ways than one. O'Loughlin, in the blander role, acts hurt or shocked or besotted where required, but the supporting players nearly steal the show." Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
film critic Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
gave the film 1/4 stars, claiming the film "plays like an unendurable TV commercial about beautiful people with great lifestyles and not a thought in their empty little heads."
Jennifer Lopez received 2 nominations for Best Romantic Comedy Actress and Best Romantic Comedy for The Back-Up Plan at the Teen Choice Awards.
Box office
The film made average box office success. The Back-up Plan earned $4,257,676 in 3,280 theaters on its Friday debut, but managed to make #1 at the box office. It dropped to #2 at the weekend box office with a gross of $12,201,710, averaging $3,720 per theater (though likely #1 in attendance, as the winner How to Train Your DragonHow to Train Your Dragon
How to Train Your Dragon is a series of nine books set in a fictional Viking world. The books were published starting in 2003 as children's novels written by British author Cressida Cowell and published by Hodder Children's Books...
was fueled by 3-D venues). In its 2nd week it dropped to #4 with $7,255,762, averaging $2,212 per theater. In its 3rd week the film dropped to #5 grossing $5,033,471, averaging $1,676 per theater. The following week it dropped to #6 grossing $2,387,480, averaging $956 per theater.
As of July 14, it had grossed $77,237,270 worldwide, and is CBS Films
CBS Films
CBS Films is an American film production company founded in 2007, a feature film division of CBS Corporation. CBS Films is located on Wilshire Boulevard in West Los Angeles.-Company history:...
' highest-grossing film to date.
The Back-up Plan reached #1 on Top Ten Hot Movies On Demand
DVD sales
The Back-up Plan was released on August 24, 2010 on DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
and Blu-ray
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
and sold 277,183 ( $4.7 million) copies in its first week of release debuting at #2 on the charts behind the sixth season of Lost
Lost (TV series)
Lost is an American television series that originally aired on ABC from September 22, 2004 to May 23, 2010, consisting of six seasons. Lost is a drama series that follows the survivors of the crash of a commercial passenger jet flying between Sydney and Los Angeles, on a mysterious tropical island...
.
The Back-up Plan also ranked #1 at both the Top 10 Renting DVD Titles and Top 10 Selling DVD Titles at U.S. BLOCKBUSTER stores, as well as #1 at the Top 10 Online Renting DVD Titles at Blockbuster.com. #3 at Top 10 Renting Blu-ray Titles at U.S. BLOCKBUSTER stores, #1 at Top 10 Selling Digital Titles on BLOCKBUSTER On Demand.
The Back-up Plan also reached #1 on Top Movie Sales on iTunes.